Musicals Books

It's me bobo the clown, i couldn't load up my old account so i made a new one! :D

The person who wrote this, (stella saperstein), is actually my music teacher! I am very proud of her, and how she teaches. She is the most music loving person i have ever met! Thank you stella for being my teacher!

I found this book interesting to read yet straight to the point. It's as much a good parenting book as a how-to guide for music education. It offers realistic guidelines and specific suggestions for almost every situation, and there's even a section on when (and when not) to quit! I liked the sample pages for getting kids to take responsibility for their own practice time, instead of parents having to nag them. This book has something worthwhile to offer for every level of musical ability, not just aspiring orchestra players, and it is obvious that the authors have in mind not just the "success" of the child in music, but the development of the child as a whole person.

Musical theater daughter in college has this songbook and really liked some of the songs--some very popular songs and others unknown gems which are great for auditions. We had to give this as gifts to several voice teachers--after she had shared the songbook, they really wanted a copy to share with their own voice students. Most popular song by this musical theater and movie composer: "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"...Check out his other songs!

This is a wonderful anthology of Harold Arlen songs. Since he wrote over 400 songs, it's impossible to include them all, but the best are definitely represented here. If you want to learn an Arlen song, this is the source.

Even if he never wrote anything else, Harold Arlen earned a stellar position in the Great American Songbook for writing "Over the Rainbow", as well as the other songs from "The Wizard of Oz". But he wrote so many more wonderful songs, ranging from the happiest and most light-hearted melodies to songs of nearly-operatic power. Sopranos, in particular, should look at this collection, which contains "Blues in the Night", "I Had Myself a True Love", and "I Wonder What Became of Me". The arrangements in this book are quite full, although a professional accompanist could make more of them, and the keys are singable. It is one of the staples of my popular music library. Harold Arlen's work is often associated with Judy Garland, but I think Eileen Farrell is actually the absolute best interpreter of his songs. Look for her CDs titled "Eileen Farrell Sings Harold Arlen" and "I Got a Right to Sing the Blues". They will blow you away, and maybe change your perception of what great singing can be.

Harr does a nice job following up book one with this one. With book one having 13 rudiments book two covers the next 13 with challenging solos and exercises. You play from these two books and you have a great start. I feel rudimentally these two books are tops. Great books to teach out of

This is the same book that I learned from as a child and it is still my favorite book to use as a teacher for the rudiments and all the foundational drumming stuff. It is excellent.

That being said, I use the Realistic Rock book by Carmine Appice for teaching the drum set in conjunction with this rudimental base because most drummers want to do more than play the snare drum. Using both books, they get the best of both worlds.

GREAT!

This book and CD was well worth the price. The difficulty ranges from easy to intermediate. I love the songs and the singing on the CD. I highly recomend this book and CD.

IMHO, this is more of a repertoire book than a method book. However, the collection of Hawaiian songs of progressive difficulty (beginner to intermediate) is exactly what many folks are looking for after they fall in love with Hawaiian-style ukulele music. I haven't found anything else out there with this many pieces at the beginners' level. The CD is rather enjoyable as well.

Pair this book with a method book (like Hal Leonard's "Play Ukulele Today") or a method DVD (like "Learn to Play the Ukulele with Roy Sakuma") and you should have a very good starter set.

The songs are really beautiful with words to the songs in Hawaiian along with the English translation. The CD is fabulous - very professional and good vocals. This set is perfect if you do not know the Hawaiian songs because after you listen a few times you know the melody and can sing and play along. I'm just so glad I bought this. I am a beginner at ukulele but play a couple of other instruments. I can play a few songs - the slow ones - but I am progressing fast because I just love the music so I play it a lot.

When I purchased this book, I expected it to have the script of the show. Now, I know that it is a nice biography about Cameron Mackintosh. You can learn about his life. I expected a bit more about the concert of Hey, Mr. Producer. I expected a program or something. I enjoy reading it.

When I first saw this book in a store here in Australia, it hit me that the producers had some style. A very classy coffee table book and spectacular photographs of stunning Mackintosh Productions, Hey!, Mr. Producer is what you have to have. Written in a passionate style toward musical theatre, once you pick it up - you won't put it down.

This is a really great companion book to the popular PBS program celebrating producer (duh!) Cameron Mackintosh and his endless contributions to musical theatre. It has fascinating little tidbits about show after show, including "Les Miserables", "Miss Saigon", "Cats", and "The Phantom of the Opera".

If you're a theater lover: particularly New York Broadway theater, this gorgeous and brilliantly thought out book is for you! Mr.Leonard Jacobs has put together a vastly eclectic collection of old photos that are not the same predictable choices of many past books on Broadway theater. This book takes you on a journey of a Broadway we have rarely or if ever seen, with each photo of an actor or theater telling a story through Mr. Jacobs commentary and far reaching knowledge. It is clear that he LOVES and respects what he does with humbleness and touch of humor. The productions and actors featured are of the more obscure and unknown than the norm. It's what makes this book all the more enjoyable because you don't get that (seen it, been there) feeling.

Buy this glorious book for yourself and a friend. It's sure to become an instant favorite that you'll go back too (as I have) time and time again.


Thank you Leonard Jacobs, for thinking "outside of the box" when putting together this book and giving these otherwise forgotten theater actors and theater houses a new life in the 21 century!

Enjoy!


M. Ortiz (Jersey City, NJ)

What another book of theater pictures? Another shot of Carol Channing coming down the stairs at the Harmonia Gardens?

What a treat to find a book about the NY Theater that is NOT the same old tired pictures and dramaturgy.

The exceptional pictures - rarely if ever used before are a true theater lover's delight.

If you love the theater and or love New York this book is for you.

The author lovingly gives details for each of these pictures and it is clearly obvious that Mr. Jacob's knowledge and love of all things theatrical is far reaching.

Don't miss this, it belongs in your collection

This book is fascinating, representing a comprehensive visual account of some of the most important people, shows, and theaters in Broadway history. One of the book's many charms lies in affording us the chance to stare in wistful wonder at the exteriors and interiors of some wonderful old theaters that no longer exist, such as the gorgeous Casino Theater (torn down to accommodate a growing garment district) and the lovely Morosco (razed to make room for the hideous Marriott Marquis and the characterless Marquis Theater).

What makes the book compelling is that, rather than focusing on the well known stars and shows of recent memory, Jacobs skews his coverage toward older and lesser known people, places, and productions. I was especially pleased to see photos from obscure but significant shows that I cover in my Boston Conservatory course, including:

The Black Crook: (1866) What many historians consider to be the first American musical, actually just the first long-running, home-grown hit. A loosely plotted spectacle peppered with irrelevant songs as well as dances from a homeless troupe of French ballet dancers. The theater that the dancers were supposed to have performed in burned down, and the producer of The Black Crook simply added them to the mix, with no connection whatsoever to the show's Faustian plot.

Babes in Toyland: (1903) The first significant show with a score by one person, rather than a collection of previously existing popular songs. Composer Victor Herbert also made the first significant use of underscoring and connecting music.

Very Good Eddie: (1915) The first of the influential, but now largely forgotten, "Princess" musicals, so named because most of the shows played the Princess Theater (demolished in 1955). The production team of Jerome Kern (music), Guy Bolton (book) and P.G. Wodehouse (lyrics) came together to create a new type a musical, one that would attempt to integrate all the elements into a cohesive whole. The "Princess" shows (which also include Oh, Lady! Lady!, Oh, Boy!, and Sitting Pretty) were fluffy, fun, and economical, and greatly influenced such future greats as Richard Rodgers and George Gershwin.

Shuffle Along: (1921) The first successful Broadway musical produced, written, and performed by African Americans. The show broke color barriers on both sides of the footlights: it was also the first time blacks were allowed to sit in the orchestra. It was a separate section of the orchestra, but it represented the beginning of the end of segregation in the theater. The show itself was offensive by modern standards: the actors performed in blackface, and the song titles included "If You Haven't Been Vamped by a Brownskin, You Haven't Been Vamped at All" and "Uncle Tom and Old Black Joe."

Of course, the Jacobs book also features photos of such iconic musical performers as Mary Martin and Ethel Merman, and of such seminal musical works as Oklahoma!, Guys and Dolls, and Fiddler on the Roof. Plus, it's a great book for people like me: adults with ADD who don't always like to read things cover to cover, but rather just skim and skip around to our hearts' content. As the title suggests, the book comprises photos with captions, albeit in chronological order, but that doesn't mean you have to read the book that way.

I can't imagine why this isn't required reading in every music program in the world. This book is so invaluable to music historians, performers, and lovers in general of any period of music, that it should be on everyone's shelf. The other glowing reviews don't do it justice, and neither would anything I could write. If you want to consider yourself informed about any period in music, this is the place to start. Crocker's book is technical enough for those with even the most extensive backgrounds in music, while being accessible to those who are just beginning to learn about musical development. I recommend this to all my students and colleagues, and it is, quite simply, one of those books you shouldn't be without.

Crocker's History of Musical Style is an invaluable resource for the serious listener. Markedly different from both the routine music history and the contextless, isolated concert programme notes, it provides the kind of deep analysis that enables the reader to understand the relationships between compositional trends as they are expressed by representative composers.

Additionally, Crocker's professional background in Medieval music means that the pre-Bach periods are given ample attention by an expert in the field rather than by a subject matter "tourist."

I had this text when I was in college 30 years ago and was delighted to find it still in print because it is the one music history I recommend without hesitation to my musically literate friends.

This is truly a great book. It is always astonishing to come face to face with a comprehensive one-volume work on any topic. Invariably, I ask myself, how is it possible that one person could study and write about so many things? Such books are rare, but this is one of them. The book begins with music of the Franks and takes a whirlwind tour through the centuries, revealing a wealth of insight into the major and minor genres in western music. Although the book is often pigeonholed as a standard reference work for musicology students cramming for exams; it is much more than that, and there are ideas here that you won't find elsewhere. In addition, anyone who has the patience to tease through a few complicated musical forms can read this book and learn from it--the prose is straightforword and not a bit sesquipedalian. There are those who say that the parts dealing with medieval and renaissance music are the most rewarding, but I found the whole book interesting. The book is fun to read alongside Gerald Abraham's "Concise Oxford History of Music."

This is an informative and delightful set that has information on Hollywood songsters that can be found no where else. Each entry has a wonderful picture accompanying. I have spent many, many happy hours pouring over the entries and learning facts about my favorite stars. This is a must have for all libraries and any scholar of musical theatre or musical film or just popular music of the 20th century. Well worth the money! It is clear that Parrish and Pitts have done their homework, but even clearer that they have a love for the subject matter and it shows on every page. As a songwriter with a love for the field, I use this book constantly.

Film historians James Robert Parish and Michael Pitts's "Hollywood Songsters" have outdone themselves with this handsomely designed three-volume set that is worth every penny. Filled with rare photos, "Hollywood Songsters" has comprehensive, accurate and fascinating entries on over 100 "singers who act and actors who sing." The lives and careers of everyone from A to Z or June Allyson to Mae West are covered in intriguing and fact-filled detail. Who would have thought that such an indespensible reference book could also be a page-turner. Once you start reading this treasure trove of information it is hard to put down because of the insider tidbits and behind-the-scenes facts that fill the well-written pages. As theater and film critic and lover of musicals, I find this a most wonderful addition to my library as well as a great read. The filmography and lp and CD bibliography on each singer is unparalled. Bravo to Mr. Parish and Mr. Pitts!!!

This project has to be a mad labor of love on the part of the authors -- how else / who else would produce a 3-volume directory of singing in the movies? We must applaud and support the authors for this massive work -- I can't imagine it not being definitive -- by urging local libraries to carry it. A database like this should be available to everyone!

Hugo Friedhofer, one of the great Hollywood film composers, was more than the consumate musician. His wit and his loving personality are shown in this engaging book. His analysis of music, composers, producers, films, actors and actresses is captivating. Hugo worked with George Gerswhin, was close friends with Oscar Levant and had Bud Powell play piano in his living room!

In his interview for the Film Music Archive, Hugo Friedhofer tells it like it is, and the book shows that he is not fake, but was a real giant in the Hollywood that used to be littered with talent and quality. Even if you know little about film music, this book is great history of the Hollywood of yesterday.

Hugo Friedhofer, one of the great Hollywood film composers, was more than the consumate musician. His wit and his loving personality are shown in this engaging book. His analysis of music, composers, producers, films, actors and actresses is captivating. Hugo worked with George Gerswhin, was close friends with Oscar Levant and had Bud Powell play piano in his living room!

In his interview for the Film Music Archive, Hugo Friedhofer tells it like it is, and the book shows that he is not fake, but was a real giant in the Hollywood that used to be littered with talent and quality. Even if you know little about film music, this book is great history of the Hollywood of yesterday.

It's so satisfying to learn about the life of the film composer who wrote the score to such movies as "The Best Years of Our Lives," "The Adventures of Marco Polo" and "The Young Lions" - some of my favorite Hollywood film scores. Much of this book contains the story of Hugo Friedhofer as told by himself through interviews and his own personal correspondence. With droll and witty comments and a collection of truly wonderful photos Ms. Danly has truly presented a well-thought-out book. Hugo was well-respected by everyone in Hollywood (he had a photographic memory and a reputation for knowing the classical literature to a fault) and now with this biography we know why.

This riveting romp of a read is as deep as the reader is prepared to probe--a rollicking airport diversion, or an insightful examination of man's condition.
For those who crave celebrities in unusal positions--naked Kirk Douglas raging at the staff of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (the stage version)for example,this will delight. For those who hunger for universal timeless truths, this will be a feast.
For theater aficionados as well as for history buffs this is a must read.

This book is the story of how the now-classic Broadway musical "Man of La Mancha" came to be written, and of its various productions, including the much-maligned 1972 film version. Its 87 year old author, Dale Wasserman, not only wrote the script of the musical as well as the film's screenplay, but also wrote its source, the 1959 non-musical TV play, "I, Don Quixote", which was broadcast during the Golden Age of live TV drama and, as of now, still has never been repeated on television nor issued on video. It would make fascinating viewing--if a copy can be found on kinescope and restored.(Those curious about the play can actually read it; the entire text is included in this book, and despite a few changes, it strongly resembles its musical counterpart, right down to the dialogue.)

Wasserman is a highly opinionated, outspoken and entertaining writer who spares nothing and nobody, and he takes us through the various phases in the writing of the show. He is pointedly emphatic in declaring that it was never intended as a dramatic adaptation of "Don Quixote" ; he believes strongly that an attempt at adapting the episodic 1,000 page novel into a coherent and interesting play, much less a film, is as impossible as Don Quixote's own attempt to defeat that famous windmill. He was/is not interested in the actual novel as a potential play. Wasserman intended both "I, Don Quixote" and "Man of La Mancha" as a tribute to Miguel de Cervantes, author of the novel, and to demonstrate how, in all spiritual ways, Cervantes and his fictional creation were close kin. Perhaps critics who review "Man of La Mancha" should take closer notice of this.


One fascinating aspect of the book is that though he is critical of the 1972 film version of "Man of La Mancha" starring Peter O'Toole and Sophia Loren, both non-singing actors, he is by no means as hostile to it as those critics that howled that a great musical had been desecrated on its way to the screen. He compliments its stars on their performances, and his biggest beef with the production seems to lie in the necessity of the film's having to use realistic, literal scenery, something that the stage version deliberately avoided.

Where Wasserman may alienate some people, however, is in his very politically incorrect and scathing criticism of some of the countries that produced the foreign language productions. But one can hardly blame him; if his account is as accurate as it seems, the liberties some of them took are horrifying.

But to divulge any more of this book would be unfair. Theatre buffs should eagerly lap it up, and anyone else interested in knowing how a literate Broadway musical play was put together should enjoy it highly.

I saw "Man of La Mancha" in, probably, its second night of previews in New York. I had cajoled a group of friends into coming based on my fandom for its star, Richard Kiley. I was a bit worried that they, or indeed I, might not like the show. What was a big musical like this doing opening in a rickety, "temporary" theater W-A-A-y off-broadway? I couldn't get any reading on my friends' reactions during the show (which was performed without intermission) but, as the lights came up at the end, I saw that I had done good. There wasn't a dry eye along the row we had commandeered. We stood by our seats and raved as the audience filed out. It turned out to be a damn good thing that we did, too, as we were just one row in front of Kiley's wife! All of which is to say that I pride myself on having loved the show longer than most. Thus, I was thrilled to hear that this book was coming out. Then I got worried. What if it didn't live up to its subject? What if it told me things I didn't want to know? Sure, Dale Wasserman is a superior playwright/screenwriter, but that's not a BOOK (and if you think writing is writing, try some of David Mamet's novels... not his essays, which are brilliant, his novels). Anyway, I needn't have worried. This is the book "...La Mancha" deserves, and the one any lover of the play or the theater will cherish.